Bringing Business Opportunities to Nimba County

Last month Building Markets’ Business Development Team visited Nimba County to introduce the Sustainable Marketplace Initiative to local businesses and register them for the Building Markets’ Portal. Verification and registration are major components of the initiative. They include identifying and targeting companies in a particular area and assessing their future economic opportunities, including the number of jobs.

ArcelorMittal Steel and AmLib are both operating in Nimba County on operating budgets collectively worth $1.7 billion. Nimba businesses are particularly poised to capitalize on the dollars and investment that these multinational companies are bringing into the country. By registering businesses, Building Markets is completing the first step to ensuring ArcelorMittal and AmLib “Buy Local: Build Liberia” for the benefit of Liberians.

Business Operations Manager Johannson Dahn and his team of eight people visited the cities of Ganta and Sanniquellie in Nimba. Over three days the team verified 31 local businesses that are qualified to conduct business with international buyers. These verified suppliers were registered on the Building Markets’ Portal.

The team began with two 45-minute live phone-in radio talk shows held on Radio Kergheamahn 94.5 in Ganta, and Radio Nimba (Joy FM) 99.5 in Sanniquellie. Six listeners called in with questions.

The team also conducted two palava hut meetings in both communities. A palava hut meeting is the traditional Liberian equivalent of a town hall meeting. The palava hut events brought together 45 businessmen and women representing the Ganta and Sanniquellie Business Associations. Also present at the events were the Ministry of Commerce Inspector Mr. David Wonbga and Deputy Country Inspector Mr. Sumo. The Commerce Officials used the occasion to encourage business leaders to register their business with the Government of Liberia and take advantage of the Sustainable Marketplace Initiative’s services. Participants attending these two events embraced this new economic development initiative, and in the words of Mr. G. Matthew Tuah of Graceland Enterprise, and secretary for the Ganta Business Association, “it’s a dream come true, because we have long hoped for an organization that can help to link us with international buyers and help us to improve our livelihoods”.